A Milan court has mandated a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni €5,000 in damages for ridiculing her in a social media post, as reported by news agency ANSA and other local media.
The journalist, Giulia Cortese, also received a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a comment made on Twitter in October 2021 about Meloni’s height, which was deemed “bodyshaming.”
Meloni initiated legal proceedings against Cortese following their social media confrontation.
At the time, Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party was in opposition when Cortese posted a manipulated photo of her with a background image of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini, which Meloni found offensive.
Cortese responded with additional tweets, including one stating, “you don’t intimidate me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters tall. I can’t even see you.”
Meloni’s height is reported differently across various media sources, ranging between 1.58 meters and 1.63 meters.
Cortese has the option to appeal the court’s decision, and Meloni’s lawyer stated that any damages received would be donated to charity.
Reporters Without Borders highlighted a significant increase in lawsuits against journalists this year, leading to Italy dropping five places to 46th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
Meloni has a history of legal actions against journalists, including a case where author Roberto Saviano was fined and ordered to pay legal costs after insulting her on television regarding her stance on illegal immigration in 2021.
Journalists at Italian state broadcaster RAI staged a strike in May to protest what they described as excessive government control over their work under Meloni’s administration.
Nancy Mbamalu
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